


Looking Forward to It

by tuesday



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dreams, Dreamsharing, M/M, Soulmates, Temporary Character Death, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 05:19:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17698394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/pseuds/tuesday
Summary: Soulmate AU: the dreams reach across space and time to connect soulmates on their 15th-18th birthdays.  Written for the R2 square for the Tony Stark Bingo, "Soulmates."—Peter had waited fifteen years for this moment, his first dream since he turned fifteen and his first soulmate dream.  He didn't know who to expect, what sort of person might await him besides another fifteen year old, reaching into his dreams across space and time.  He certainly hadn't expected this, a face he thought he recognized, though much, much younger than the last time he'd seen it on a computer screen.





	Looking Forward to It

**Author's Note:**

> This is a soulmate AU with zero chill. See end notes for content advisories/full notes. Thank you very much to duckmoles for looking this over! ♥
> 
> Soulmate AU: the dreams reach across space and time to connect soulmates on their 15th-18th birthdays.

15.

Peter had waited fifteen years for this moment, his first dream since he turned fifteen and his first soulmate dream. He didn't know who to expect, what sort of person might await him besides another fifteen year old, reaching into his dreams across space and time. He certainly hadn't expected this, a face he thought he recognized, though much, much younger than the last time he'd seen it on a computer screen. Brown eyes studied him as they both waited for the other to look their fill.

"Tony Stark?" Peter asked.

"You know me? Do you know if—?" 

"You're, uh, you're older than I am. A lot older." 

"But we've met?" 

"No. Uh. You're, uh, famous." Famous was putting it lightly. "I'm Peter. Peter Parker."

"Okay, so we don't meet until after you're fifteen, but I promise: I'll find you, Peter Parker."

 

16.

"Tell me we've met!" Tony said excitedly, practically beaming at Peter.

Peter felt bad about having to dampen that enthusiasm. Almost as bad as he had meeting Tony in person only to realize that at some point over the years Tony had decided the soulmate thing just wasn't for him. "We've met. You're. You're not interested." 

"Future me is an asshole." 

"No! Well. Maybe a little. But that's not why." 

"What reason could I possibly have for not being interested in my soulmate?"

"You know how I said you were a lot older?"

"What's a few years between soulmates?"

"No, it's just. You're _a lot_ older."

"How much older are we talking here?"

"Decades."

Tony had a stubborn glint in his eyes. "I don't care if you don't. Well, maybe that you'll make me wait so long."

 

17.

"Tony, it's not going to happen." 

"Maybe I'm waiting." 

Peter smiled, a little bit bitter. "You're definitely not waiting." 

It was almost funny, how devastated Tony looked. "There's someone else?"

"You're almost fifty. It wouldn't be fair for you to spend your life alone."

"I won't be alone. I'll have you."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. You won't."

 

18.

It was the last time, and Peter couldn't—Peter couldn't. He embraced Tony and hid his face in Tony's neck. 

"I'm guessing future me is still an idiot." 

Peter shook his head, trying to burrow in, to get in closer. "You were a genius. I don't think anyone else could have done it." 

"That sounds both promising and ... not." 

Peter sobbed. "Sorry. Sorry. This is a terrible goodbye." 

Tony rubbed a hand along Peter's spine. "It's not goodbye. You're still in my future." 

Peter pressed his lips hard together. His throat was tight. He couldn't speak. Everyone knew you couldn't use the dreams to change the past. Everyone who'd been willing to try hadn't remembered their dreams at all. The dreams were short, but the last dream was always the longest, and Peter planned to treasure every second of this one.

"It'll be okay," Tony lied, and Peter couldn't even take comfort from it. "Everything will be okay."

Peter wanted to remember this dream, but he couldn't help trying: "You sacrificed yourself for me. For all of us."

"Then it was worth it." Tony stroked his hand down Peter's back. "Because you're here, and I get to see that there's a future worth having, even if it's shorter than I'd like it to be."

Peter was crying in earnest now. "I love you. I never got to tell you, but I loved you so much."

"You're telling me now." There was a terrible serenity in Tony's voice. "If these dreams are anything to go by, I feel the same way." He pressed a kiss to Peter's hair. "I'm looking forward to it."

Peter woke with the knowledge that not only was the past unchanged, but he had probably pushed Tony into making the decision to sacrifice himself decades before anyone else even knew to ask the question. 

He remembered the dreams, but he almost wished he couldn't.

 

25.

It wasn't a dream. Tony was standing there, blinking and confused, but alive.

"Huh. I honestly hadn't expected to survive that."

"You didn't." Peter knew Tony didn't feel the same way, but he couldn't help throwing himself forward and into his arms.

Tony caught him. "So much for trying to keep you from getting too attached."

"What?"

Tony pressed a kiss to Peter's hair. "Want to know a secret?"

Peter clutched at the back of Tony's shirt. "What's that?"

"I fell in love with you when I was fifteen years old."

"What about Ms. Potts?"

"No matter how the media likes to play it, Pepper's always had her own soulmate. And I've always had you." Tony's kiss landed on Peter's mouth this time. "Hey, Peter Parker. What do you say to spending the rest of our lives together?"

"I'd love to," Peter said. Then, "I love you. I love you."

Between kisses, Tony repeated it back to him.

**Author's Note:**

> This is partially predicated on the assumption that Tony is going to die in A4/End Game, but all you’re getting from me is that temporary character death warning, because nope nope nope. Also, the usual age gap.


End file.
